This place is beautiful, with an awesome little pier, multiple nice shoreline walking areas, and…read morepretty direct access to the des plaines river and another, much smaller pond with a stream running just south of the parking lot. The only reason this place doesn't get a perfect 5 star is for 2 reasons: 1. On the northern edge of the lake, the expressway and electric towers are very loud and get pretty annoying, and 2. You better pack bug spray because the day I came here, I had 6 ticks crawling on me after I left. luckily none of them bit me, but still. I understand it's tick season but it's still pretty crazy. Awesome place overall, and seems to have good fishing. Even saw a loon on the day I went. Would recommend as a walking/fishing area.

Lake Carina is a forest preserve. I went here to eat a late lunch and walk around with my…read moreboyfriend. It's quite small and easy to miss when you're driving on 21. The venue has a lot of parking and the lake is very pretty. It's a nice place to go for a walk. Beware of the many mosquitoes and gnats - it is a lake after all. I am afraid of bees, and there seemed to be an abundance of them on the trail. Along the walking trail, there are benches along the way. There are picnic tables and trash bins by the entrance of the trail. When you enter, there is a dock for fishing. You must be licensed to fish if you are over the age of 16. There is also a bike trail, but I didn't get a chance to check that out. I believe the walking trail is about a mile long. You could also walk your dog. They conveniently have doggy bags at the beginning of the trail as well. There is also a bathroom area next to the parking lot. The walking trail itself is pretty, but nothing amazing. You do go under some big electric posts. When we were walking, they were buzzing which was a little scary for me. The last thing I'll add is be careful where you step. Some people aren't considerate enough to pick up after their dogs. Other than that, it's a nice place to go for a walk. It's not a place I would go out of my way to see.

Great Blue Heron nesting spot. They also had a flower/plant sale going on when I was there. Neat…read moremarsh to go observe wildlife, in fact, they will loan you some binaculars on weekends!

Van Patten Woods Forest Preserve is an excellent place for a picnic, fishing, canoeing, biking and…read morea tranquil walk. The wide gravel path is 2.5 miles around the beautiful Sterling lake. It's shady with many trees and also nice and breezy. They have nice private picnic areas right on the lake front along with a couple restrooms. It's a great fun day out for families!

Easy hike we took the Yellow Trail. Kid friendly, playground and restrooms are available. The trail…read morehad some cool wood chairs around the trail.

Hastings Forest Preserve has wonderful trails and paths for both hiking and bikes. There is a trail…read morethat wraps around a beautiful Lake. There is also a wonderful playground for children. It has a nice soft padding for kids to play on making it safer than your usual wood chips or Tire shreds. There are plenty of swings for both Toddlers and older along with infants and young babies. The only reason I have not given this five stars is because there has been prepares needed to part of the playground that have not yet been repaired. The repairs have been needed for quite some time now and have not yet been addressed. Maybe once the repairs are completed I will change my rating. Another great feature to this area is there are nice bathrooms right by the playground and in the center of the forest preserve. There are also picnic tables and a pavilion for people to have Gatherings of all kinds.

Hastings Lake Forest Preserve has approximately a 2.1 mile hike. The path is paved and pretty even…read morethroughout. It wraps around the lake which offers nice breezes. Many areas along the trail are shaded by large trees so it's not all sunny and hot. The lake has a good population of turtles and surprisingly also has big mouth bass among other species that you are allowed to fish! They offer a boat ramp to bring your boat or even canoe! They also have plenty of places around the lake to sit and just reflect and relax. The path was very clean and markers easy to spot as there is only 1 path and no diversions. It's a great morning activity with family and friends.

The Yelon and Waukegan Harbor statement that there is an accessible kayak launch is false. The…read morelaunch is 30' into the lake, tied to a revetment that users cannot access without walking through 3' of Waukegan Harbor water. it looks like it was destroyed by winter ice. Don't go there.

Great place to fish or just be out in the water relaxing. We got a charter & went fishing in Sept…read more 2018, fortunately for us the weather was great. It was trout season so we caught some huge Lake Trout(see pics) that we ended up grilling that night. Was told by the Captain that salmon season is in June so definitely will be coming back for that. You're welcome to bring your own snacks & drinks, check with your charter to see if they allow booze on board. Happy Fishing!

Today, my boyfriend and I rented a paddleboat for an hour. The weather forecast indicated rain…read morewouldn't start until 1:00 PM, so we thought we had plenty of time. However, around 12:20 PM, the sky turned black. We immediately turned around and began pedaling back to the dock as fast as we could. While we were heading back, a safety staff member on a speedboat approached us. He told us we had to return to shore but added that he couldn't tow us in--we had to pedal all the way back ourselves. While we were already doing that, the storm was rolling in incredibly fast, and it was a genuinely scary experience. As we finally approached the dock in the storm, we saw two teenage employees who had been assisting people earlier. One of them looked right at us, but instead of helping us secure the boat, both boys ran back into the covered checkout area and completely ignored us. As we struggled to park and tie up the boat in the pouring rain, not a single staff member stepped out to help us dock safely. Meanwhile, at least 10 employees were crowded inside the checkout area. As a person of color, I am unfortunately always hyper-aware of how I might be treated in certain environments. I have visited this forest preserve many times, always thought it was beautiful, and was so excited to show my boyfriend around. To be treated with such a lack of care was incredibly disappointing. When we spoke to the male manager, he explained that they are required to clear the water during storms. My boyfriend clarified that we had no issue with leaving the water; our issue was the complete lack of staff assistance to help us dock safely in a dangerous situation. The manager offered us a "rain check" for a free rental, but missing out on time wasn't the issue--our safety was. No one seemed to care that we were the last ones out on the water. I hope this forest preserve implements a better emergency protocol, because storms on the water can quickly become life-threatening. I guess my question is if the staff are closely checking the weather , why even let people still go out on the water ? Instead of saying "hey there's a storm that is going to be rolling through , we are holding back on rentals at this time for safety reasons " .

Independence Grove is such a nice forest preserve with lots of things to do especially in the…read moresummer time. Beautiful trails to walk/run along but they also have a playground for kids. They have a beer garden and snack shop. They also have water activities that you can rent like paddle boats and kayaks. It's just a nice place to go solo or with friends if you are looking to connect with nature for a bit.

The 2nd most popular state park in Illinois, Illinois Beach State Park was initially established in…read more1948, with the northern portion being added in 1982. It is located on over 6 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, encompassing 4,160 acres. I spent a lot of summers here (both at the beach and the campgrounds) with my dad and brother during my youth, and was also the area where I proposed to my girlfriend over 30 years ago...was nice to stop by with my now wife on this rainy day. It's official name is Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park, renamed for the former state senator and conservation advocate in 2010 (a year after her passing). I went to high school in the area, and she was an important presence during that time, often sponsoring various academic and community awards for local students. Since it was rainy and a weekday, the large parking lots and beachfront were pretty empty. We walked it a bit, collected some sand (recently started to collect and label beach sand to further document my travels). There is a 'resort' hotel on the grounds (which I remembered) and The Pavilion (a combination camp store, souvenir shop, and concession stand), which I didn't remember (makes sense since it opened in 2021). The latter was closed when we stopped by (has limited hours during the non-summer time and is closed during winter).

My first time here. I've avoided this area because it's surrounded by iffy neighborhoods with high…read morecrime rates like murders. They had a fall festival this past weekend with free guided walks so I figured it would be safe for us. Loved the guided walk and how informative it was. This is a high quality state park with lots of native plants still intact. So the whole place is pretty deserted but it did rain in the morning. Cars with completely tinted windows drive around in broad daylight. Pretty scary...The campgrounds have security that do not allow you to pass through unless you are a camper so that would make it safe. I saw a few police cars in the area as well. Personally, this isn't for me but if you are street smart, know your way around the neighborhood, it's great for hiking.

This is a nice little beach in Wildwood. You do need a resident parking sticker to park along the…read moreposted area however. We are not Wildwood residents but have found parking not too far off. The swimming area is marked and mostly attracts families with young kids.

Nice park. It has a pavilion and a small beach area. The park is not very big, but it is a hidden…read moregem. Recommend you check it out. Oh, and Joe says, "Don't forget...it turns out the grass isn't always greener on the other side."

My husband and I met a friend at Century Park Arboretum to get some exercise. I really like this…read morePark. There are several nice waking paths around the park. The park also has a lake you fish at, exercise equipment along the waking path, a playground, and a picnic shelter with picnic tables and bathrooms. I highly recommend Century Park Arboretum!

A nice, clean park for people of all ages to either exercise, take a leisurely stroll, do…read morerecreational activities like fishing, picnic or just chill (or all of the above :-) ). I enjoy going here for walks and jogs. I forget how long of a trail it is for walking/ jogging/ bicycling purposes but either way, it is enjoyable. They have BBQ grills and picnic areas, benches, fields for baseball and soccer, a basketball court and some complimentary exercising (gym) equipment for anyone who would like to use it. The park has easy (multiple) access points and although, certain parking areas can get busy during nice weather days, you have other parking options nearby. There are multiple restroom areas in the park. Pets (dogs to be exact) are allowed for a walk. You get pretty views of sunsets from here over the small lake that's there as the area is scenic. I go here occasionally for either exercising or just to get my mind of things as I find this place relaxing and chill. Check this park out if you haven't been here before. It's worth the visit.

Captain Rick sure knows his business. He is very professional and delivered on the services and a…read moregreat haul of fish!

Unforgettable Father-Son Salmon Fishing Experience…read more This was our first time salmon fishing on the lake, and it couldn't have been a better experience. From the moment we booked, everything was smooth and professional. Captain Rick made the process easy--he was responsive, informative, and his communication was excellent every step of the way. Before the trip, he thoroughly explained what to expect and answered all our questions. Once we were out on the water, his instructions were clear, easy to follow, and made us feel confident even as first-timers. Captain Rick's expertise and patience made a huge difference. We ended up catching our limit, which was the icing on the cake. The value for the charter was excellent considering the quality of service, gear, and overall experience. I would absolutely recommend this trip to anyone--from beginners to seasoned anglers--and we're already looking forward to going back again!